Smoke in the Lanes

“The real deal ... a fascinating, unflinching portrait of the rich diversity of characters and traditions of the Romani life at a time when it was threatened as never before”

Choice Magazine

About the book

A classic account of the reality of life as a Gypsy in the 1950s when Travellers lived in horse-drawn wagons and stopped by the wayside in quiet country lanes, but were often driven to ‘atch’ besides main highways as so many of the old stopping places were fenced off or built upon.

This book is full of stories of life on the road and descriptions of colourful characters living for the present despite constant harassment by police and suspicious landowners.

Illustrated by the author’s wife, Beshlie.

About the Author/s:

Dominic Reeve

The author is notoriously secretive and his true name and any personal details about his past have never been publicly disclosed.

It is known, however, that he took to the life of a Traveller in his late teens (he was not born a Gypsy) and continues to live and earn his living in the traditional way.